New World Chronicles
by MD Punk
Summary: The Straw Hats have finally arrived in the New World! But exactly how much has the world changed over the past two years?
1. Chapter 1

_Two years have passed since they have sailed on the ocean surface- the Strawhat Pirates continue their adventure in the New World!_

The fire was spreading across the island quickly. The only building untouched was the government tower at the very center of the island. The citizens of the island fled their homes, leaving all of their precious items behind them. Within moments the island was surrounded by small boats filled with people watching their homeland burn right in front of them. A single ship stayed in the bay area of the island, dangerously close to the flames that were engulfing the island. The symbol on the flag of the ship was that of a jolly roger wearing a straw hat. The ship was the Thousand Sunny, and it belonged to the Straw Hat Pirates.

On the island Nami, Chopper, and Usopp searched for anyone trapped in their homes due to the fire. A small group of people stood adjacent to Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Franky, Brook, and Robin with a little girl behind the straw hats and an older man behind the group apposing them.

"Luffy-sama! Please, save my grandfather!" the young girl cried, tugging at the sleve of the young man wearing the straw hat.

"Don't worry... leave the rest to us!" Luffy shouted.

**Two Weeks Earlier...**

The sun was shining brightly in the sky and the sea was calm and gentle. The giant landmark known as the Red Line was off in the distance, looming over the horizon. A few seagulls flew through the area and some dolphins danced near the surface. A look of panic quickly appeared on the marine animal's faces and they quickly scattered away as a large, dark shape grew larger in size as it drew closer to the surface. A giant ship quickly broke the surface of the ocean, a large air bubble, which was around the ship, popped and a few figures slammed down on the deck of the ship. After a few moments the ship stabilized and the sails were opened to reveal a jolly roger wearing a straw hat. The large ship slowly began to move as the winds slightly picked up. The people on the ship scrambled to get the ship in a more stable shape for sailing. A woman with long, orange hair pointed in different directions, shouting for certain people to go to certain areas of the ship.

"Nami-swan!" a voice called out from the inside of the ship. The door behind the orange haired woman flew open and a young man with blonde hair covering the right side of his emerged. He was wearing a white, collared shirt with black dress pants. He was also wearing an apron. His hair was parted to the right, completely covering his right eye. He emerged with two steaming plates of food.

"Oh, Sanji!" Nami exclaimed, slightly turn to face him. She was wearing a black shirt with the word "POWER" printed in gold print. Her bright orange hair came down to her waistline and she was wearing long, white pants. She took the food from Sanji with a smile. Sanji's eyes turned to hearts and he twirled away, heading towards another woman down on the deck of the ship. The woman was calmly reading a book while the rest of the crew continued to prepare the ship for sailing on the ocean properly once more.

The woman had black hair, which was parted almost directly down the middle. She had sunglasses on her forehead, keeping her hair from covering it. She was wearing a black leather jacket with a white shirt underneath. She also wore blue jeans with standard flip flops. The woman looked up from her book as Sanji approached. He placed the food down on the short table in front of her.

"For you, Robin-swan." Sanji said with hearts still in his eyes. Robin also smiled and Sanji clutched his chest, thinking to himself "I am surrounded by such beauties!".

"Luffy, you idiot, watch where you're going!" Nami shouted from above. A young man wearing a long sleeved, red vest and short blue jeans had stumbled into her, almost knocking the plate of food out of her hands. The young man had black hair and a scar under his right eye. His vest was open, revealing a large "X" scar on his chest. He also had a straw hat bouncing off the back of his neck, which was only barely hanging on to the thin string that prevented the hat from flying out of reach.

"Sorry Nami!" Luffy exclaimed as he past. He quickly stopped and spun around to face Nami once more, "Oh and do you know where Zoro is?" he asked.

"I think he's helping Brook tie a knot near the back of the ship. Why are you looking for him when you're supposed to be helping as well?" Nami said in a serious tone.

"Oh, I think I dropped one of his swords into the ocean." Luffy said with a goofy smile on his face. Nami's mouth dropped open and her eyes turned white. Luffy's eyes grew wide as he turned to see a menacing figure standing behind him. The figure was tall and wearing a long green robe with a red sash. There was a green bandana tied to his right arm, and a scar over his right eye, preventing it from being opened.

"Did you say... that you dropped one of my swords?" the figure growled.

"Oi, oi... it was an accident Zoro, I swear!" Luffy exclaimed. Zoro grabbed Luffy by the shoulder and placed a great amount of pressure on him.

"I should make you swim for it!" Zoro shouted before letting go of Luffy and jumping carelessly into the water to retrieve his lost sword.

"Luffy-san!" a figure called from around the corner. Luffy looked to his right to see a tall skeleton with an afro, wearing a suit standing behind him with two others. One was a small reindeer wearing a large pint hit with holes for his antlers. The other was a muscular guy wearing white and brown overalls with long, poofy hair.

"Brook, Usopp, Chopper! Did you guys finish?" Luffy asked.

"Yup! The Sunny should be fit to sail properly again!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Luffy-san... don't you notice anything different?" Brook asked.

"Oh! You're wearing a suit again. What happened to Soul King?" Luffy asked, sounding quite disappointed.

"I decided to give it a break, the bright colors were hurting my eyes but wait... I don't have any! YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook laughed.

"Ah! There you guys are, have you seen Zoro?" a large figure asked as it emerged from the inside of the ship. It was a large robot like man with a very large upper body. His arms and hands were extraordinarily large. His shoulders had been replaced by large red balls and his blue hair was in the style of a buzz cut. "I think I found one of his swords hanging off the side of the ship. I presume that he'll want it back."

"You mean... I didn't drop it overboard?" Luffy asked, slightly turning his head to the side.

"I guess not if I found it." the large cyborg replied. Suddenly the ship shook as Zoro climbed his way to the deck, soaking wet from swimming in the ocean.

"Luffy, you bastard! You didn't even know if it was in the water or not! Franky, toss it over!" Zoro shouted. The cyborg gently tossed the sword, sending it quickly flying past Zoro and into the ocean behind him. Franky, Luffy, Usopp, Brook, Nami, And Chopper's mouths all dropped open in astonishment as Zoro slowly turned his head toward the cyborg. "Franky... I'm going to kill you in your sleep." Zoro said before jumping into the water to actually retrieve his weapon.

"Nami," Robin called from the deck, "Where does the log pose say we're going next?". Nami looked at the compass that was attached to her wrist like a bracelet. It was pointing directly to the north. Nami pulled out a small map that their friend Jinbe had given to them on Fishman Island before they entered the sea known as the New World. The New World was the name given to the second half of the Grand Line. It is known for being completely unpredictable and nearly impossible to navigate without the proper skills and training. The weather was even more quick to change than the first half of the Grand Line, referred to as Paradise.

"According to the map that Jinbe-chan gave us before we left... we could emerge at any of the following three islands: Ishimura, The Island of Rock to the south, Ansatsusha Heiwa, The Land of Peaceful Assassins to the north, or Hageshii Raiu, The Land of the Never Ending Storm to the east." Nami read. She looked at the log pose on her wrist again and her skin turned pale. "Oh all islands to come to... it would have to be the most dangerous!" she exclaimed.

"Which island is it?" Luffy asked as a large smile slowly broke out on his face.

"The log pose is pointing to Ansatsusha Heiwa... the land of "peaceful" assassins!" Nami said, her entire body as white as a ghost.

"Shishishishishi!" Luffy laughed as he placed his straw hat on his head, "It sounds like it's time that we had our first proper adventure in the 'New World'!".

"That does sound like quite an interesting place." Zoro said as he stood calmly with the other members of the crew, water dripping from all over his body.

"How can you say that Zor- When did you even get back on the ship?" Nami shouted, hitting Zoro in the back of the head.

"Yosh! So it's decided then! Set sail for Ansatsusha Island!" Luffy shouted, thrusting both of his arms into the air.

"You're forgetting the 'Heiwa' part!" Nami angrily shouted from behind him.

**At Marine Headquarters, the former G1 station, in the New World...**

"So the Straw Hats have finally emerged in the New World..." a shadowy figure muttered to himself as he overlooked the sea, "You may have only recently been promoted but you know how to deal with Straw Hat himself more than any of us... are you up to the task of bringing him in?" the figure asked. Another figure was sitting down on the other side of the room. A giant cloud of smoke surrounded his entire body. He was wearing a long white coat with the kanji for "Justice" on the back with long white pants. He had silver hair and was smoking three cigars at once. The figure slowly stood up and smirked.

"All right then... I leave the job of capturing 'Straw Hat Luffy' to you... Admiral Smoker."

_To Be Continued._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Supernova Captain Kidd**

**Elsewhere in the New World...**

"So Straw Hat didn't die after all..." a sinister looking man said with a smile as he read the newspaper. He had spiky red hair with a pair of square goggles on his forehead. He was wearing a long, red and brown jacket and no shirt. His right arm had been completely replaced by a large arm made of metal. He was wearing pants with a yellow and brown spotted pattern. He looked up from the newspaper and out at the ocean in front of him.

"It's already been two years since we first arrived in the New World... you're already late to the party Straw Hat! You waited too long and now I know for sure that I am going to be the next Pirate King!" the man continued, his crew carefully listening to his words. One of his crew mates walked up beside him. He was wearing a blue and white mask filled with holes. His long blonde hair fell just below his neck and shoulders. He was wearing a plain blue shirt and gray jeans with a white sash around his waist.

"Captain Kidd... don't you think that we should be leaving now?" the pirate asked. Kidd crumbled up the newspaper and threw it into the ocean.

"Not quite yet Killer, I want to see where Straw Hat surfaced! That's the only reason we returned to the beginning islands! If only Straw Hat knew what kind of terrors are waiting for him in the most dangerous ocean of the world." Kidd said, looking at his metal arm, "This bastard sea claimed my arm after all."

A cannon ball suddenly slammed down in the ocean in front of the ship. Kidd quickly looked out at the ocean to see a large marine ship coming from around the side of an island. Kidd grabbed a pair of binoculars from one of his crew mates and quickly looked at the flag. A few moments later Kidd crushed the binoculars in his hand and turned to face his crew.

"Of all timing for an Admiral to show up... We have no choice but to retreat! Prepare to return to the seas of the New World!" Kidd shouted, thrusting his left arm up into the air. His crew quickly scattered, lifting the anchor and raising the sail. Kidd quickly spun around to see another cannon ball flying towards the ship. "I've never seen an admiral go for such an indirect approach... you must be the new guy." Kidd muttered to himself as he raised his left hand and the cannon ball stopped right in front of his face.

"Repel." Kidd said and the cannon ball quickly flew back towards the marine ship. There was a large explosion and the ship quickly started to tilt towards the water. A large dark cloud approached from the east and Kidd quickly clenched both of his fists. "The damn weather in this sea is just as dangerous the people who live in it! Pick up the pace men! If we get caught in this storm we're done for!"

"Captain Kidd, I don't think we're going to be able to safely get back to calm waters before the storm arrives!" one of the pirates shouted.

"Something is flying towards the ship from the marine vessel!" Killer shouted from one of the lower decks. Kidd quickly looked to his right to see a straight line of white smoke flying towards his ship.

"So it looks like the admiral himself wants to play..." Kidd muttered. The white column crashed onto the deck of the ship, knocking half of Kidd's crew into the sea. "I don't think that we've had the pleasure of meeting each other yet." Kidd sneered from above. Smoker slowly turned his head towards Kidd and Killer.

"This is going to be the first and last time that we cross paths... Eustass Kidd." Smoker said, cracking his knuckles.

The waves continued to gently crash into the Thousand Sunny as the Straw Hats continued their journey to the island of assassins.

"Oh man it's good to properly see the sun again." Usopp said as he laid down on the deck of the ship. His hair gently blew with the wind as Chopper emerged from inside of the ship and sat down beside him. "Hey Chopper I never really had the chance to ask you this before but where did the big bear guy send you?"

"Oh! He sent me to an island where..." Chopper began and told his story to Usopp. Luffy looked out at the ocean with a smile on his face. Nami walked up beside him and smiled.

"I missed you, Luffy." Nami said with a smile, "I really missed everyone... it was hard being separated for two years but now everything is back to normal right?" she asked with a slight smile. Luffy grinned in return and placed his hand on his straw hat.

"No... everything is better than it was before!" Luffy said, "We're in the New World now... everyone's dreams are closer than ever before!"

Kidd fell down onto one knee as the blood dripped down from his forehead. Smoker threw his cigar down onto the ship and it quickly caught some of the wood on fire.

"I've already proven that I'm stronger than you... why don't you just give up now before your entire ship burns and sinks to the bottom of the ocean?" Smoker asked, grabbing a spear from his new bag of weapons that he carried on his back. "Ever since I became an Admiral I wanted to get my hands on some more weapons made of sea stone... that man thought I was crazy since I'm a fruit user myself... do you know what I told him, pirate scum?"

"I don't give a shit what you said! I didn't come all the way back to the entrance to the New World to be captured by the rookie Admiral!" Kidd shouted and quickly rose to his feet. He rushed towards Smoker and swung his giant metal arm towards his chest. The fist connected and made a giant cloud of smoke. Kidd clenched his teeth and quickly looked around as the smoke slowly engulfed the entire ship. Kidd heard the clash of swords and quickly turned towards the noise. He quickly jumped out of the smoke cloud as Smoker reformed. Kidd noticed Killer was dueling with a woman with dark blue hair and wearing a jacket with the kanji for "Vice Admiral - Justice" on it.

"So you didn't come onto the ship alone after all." Kidd muttered under his breath.

"The rest of your men have already been taken to my ship during our fight. You two supernovas are the only ones left." Smoker said as his body finished reforming itself, "And I think it's about time that I wrapped this up."

"How many times do I have to tell you! I own this sea! I am Captain Kid and I will not lose to some shit eating marine like you." Kidd shouted with a sinister grin, "To tell you the truth I've only been warming up. You see Admiral, one of us is going to be sinking to the bottom of the sea today... and it won't be me."

"Everyone look out there! I think I can see another ship!" Usopp shouted from the top of the mast. The rest of the crew quickly looked out at the vast ocean in front of them. Sure enough there was a tiny fishing ship directly ahead.

"Quickly take in the sails! We can't let them know that we are pirates!" Nami shouted and Sanji, Franky and Brook quickly rushed to pull the sails in.

The Sunny quickly approached the ship. There were only a few young children and an old man sitting on the boat, which was covered with blood. Luffy quickly yelled for Chopper to help treat them. Luffy, Zoro and Chopper quickly brought all four of them onto the ship and into Chopper's office.

"Who could have done something that terrible to those kids and that grandpa?" Sanji asked as he blew out some smoke.

"I have a bad feeling about them..." Zoro muttered, grabbing into the hilt of one of his blades. Nami slapped Zoro in the back of the head.

"You idiot! There is no way that little kids and some old guy are really a threat to us." Nami said, placing her head in her hands.

"Actually I have to say that I'm with Zoro on this one..." Robin said, approaching the three of them. "But if Luffy wants to help them then it's his call."

"That's true... speaking of Luffy, where did that idiot go?" Nami asked.

Smoker pulled the spear out from Kidd's gut. Kidd coughed up some blood and collapsed onto his knees, gasping for air. Smoker kicked Kidd in the face, knocking him down onto the deck of his ship, which was almost completely engulfed in flames. The woman and Killer were continuing to fight, with neither side picking up any advantage.

"W-what the hell... did you do to y-your body?" Kidd asked, struggling to pull himself off of the floor.

"You really want to know?" Smoker asked. He placed his foot on Kidd's head and smashed it down onto the deck, "I worked my ass off for two years... to completely master my devil fruit! I am beyond a simple logia!"

_What is the meaning of Smoker's words?_

**To Be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: A Changed World**

The sun was quickly covered by dark clouds as the Sunny continued to sail across the ocean. Nami flipped through her collection of weather charts as the wind slowly began to pick up. Chopper continued to attend to the children and old man that the crew found on the small vessel. Luffy was pacing back and forth on the deck impatiently.

"Oi, Nami, when are we going to arrive on the island?" Luffy shouted. Nami looked down at Luffy from her table with a slightly annoyed tone and responded,

"It will be another day or so Luffy. I know that you're anxious to be in the New World after two years but that doesn't mean that the ship will move any faster."

Luffy sat down and leaned against the door to Chopper's office. He placed his straw hat against his chest and slowly closed his eyes.

"I wonder how Rayleigh and the others are doing..."

**Sabaody Archipelago, One Week Ago...**

The marines quickly retreated from the older man that stood in front of them. He pushed the glasses up on his nose and brushed a streak of his long, silver hair out of his face. He gently stroked the beard on his chin with his left hand as he spun around his sword with his right. He moved his left hand to the scar on his right eye and a small smile broke out across his face.

"Roger... I did everything that you asked me to do when I was your first mate... and now I've completed the final task that you left me..." he muttered to himself. He looked up at the marines that stood in front of him, their guns pointed directly at his forehead, "Listen up boys... don't take this personal... I haven't fought the marines in at least two years... I might be a little rusty."

"Marines! I order you to retreat!" a voice called from behind the group of soldiers. The old man smirked as a large, shadowy figure approached the group of marines. The marines quickly moved out of the way to reveal a large man with a giant axe on his back. He had the build of a sumo wrestler, with a scar on his face that went from his left eye to the left corner of his mouth. He was wearing a large, apron-like shirt with the symbol for heaven on it. He was also wearing a large marine coat that extended from his shoulders directly onto the ground, "This man will easily kill all of you without breaking a sweat!"

"I didn't realize that you would be leaving Grove 46 so soon, Sentomaru." the old man said with a chuckle.

"I heard over the Den Den Mushi that the second squad had been blocked by the former first mate of the pirate king himself... Dark King Silvers Rayleigh! You've been avoiding the government for over 20 years and today is the day that I take you into custody!" Sentomaru shouted, grabbing his battle axe and swinging it down in front of him, blowing back Rayleigh's hair and white coat.

"You don't have Admiral Kizaru to help you this time, are you sure that you'll be able to beat me?" Rayleigh asked, pointing his sword at Sentomaru.

"It's been over two years since you and that Kuma bastard helped the Straw Hat pirates escape from my territory! Ever since that day I've been training to become stronger and stronger. I even became a full fledged marine waiting for this day to come. Brace yourself, Dark King... I'm going to show you my new 'ability'"! Sentomaru shouted.

**One Week Later...**

The shackles dropped to the floor as Sentomaru opened the door to the prison cell. Rayleigh slowly trudged towards the marine scientist without making eye contact. Sentomaru grabbed Rayleigh's left shoulder and slowly shoved him towards a door. Rayleigh walked outside and winced from the brightness of the sun. A long line of marines stood in front of him, the line leading directly to a coated ship waiting in the ocean.

"A coated ship..." Rayleigh muttered, "We're going into the New World?"

"It's really none of your business where you're going, Dark King," Sentomaru replied, once again pushing Rayleigh for him to move more quickly. "But if you must know... the government is currently in the process of opening a new super prison on Ansatsusha Heiwa to replace Impel Down. Ever since the breakout caused by Straw Hat and Blackbeard the government doubted Magellan and the rest of the staff... as a result they shut down Impel Down and transfered most of the prisoners all over the world and decided to make a new super prison in the New World. You should know how rough those waters are these days... ever since the death of Whitebeard and Blackbeard's arrival... even the remaining Yonkou are in danger of losing not only their status and power... but their lives."

"I thought the super prison was just a rumor... do you have any idea who the warden of the prison is going to be?" Rayleigh asked. Sentomaru smirked and shoved Rayleigh forward, almost knocking the famous pirate onto the ground.

"Didn't I tell you that it's none of your damn business? Trust me... in a few days it won't matter to you who the warden is... because you'll be meeting him yourself!" Sentomaru shouted before he pulled Rayleigh back onto his feet and finally onto the ship.

**On the Thousand Sunny... Roughly 8 Hours before arrival on Ansatsusha Heiwa**

"Finally, you're all awake!" Chopper exclaimed from inside of his office. Luffy's eyes shot open and he jumped to his feet, flinging the door open. Luffy's happy expression quickly changed to a serious one as he clenched both of his fists. Chopper looked at Luffy nervously as the three kids had sword pointed at his neck and chest as the old man began to remove some of his bandages.

"We never asked for any help, especially from some pirates." the old man said. The old man, like the kids, was wearing a black gi, covering every square inch of their bodies except for their faces. The old man picked up a black mask off of the counter and placed it over his head. Only his hazel eyes were visible as he turned to face Luffy, "You are the man that I've been waiting for... this entire crew's bounty should be high enough to free my home from _them_!"

The old man quickly grabbed a sword that was leaning against the bed and jumped towards Luffy. Luffy instinctively jumped backwards onto the deck of the ship. The old man followed, squinting his eyes from the bright sin. The old man prepared to strike again when he felt the tip of another blade at his back. He slowly turned his head to see Zoro standing behind him. The three kids suddenly were thrown from inside of the office onto the deck of the ship. Sanji and Chopper emerged from inside, Chopper now in his larger, more human-like form.

"I think you need to explain yourselves." Franky said, walking down from the upper deck of the ship, "We saved you after all, the least you could do is show some sort of gratitude."

"We will never show gratitude to you people! The people that have caused my entire island to be run by the government!" the old man shouted from under his mask.

"Grandpa! We're entering _their_ territory!" one of the kids, a young girl, shouted suddenly. The old man froze instantly and his eyes grew wide. Luffy raised an eyebrow and slightly titled his head in confusion.

"What are you guys talking about?" Luffy asked.

"You need to turn your ship around right now! You aren't welcome on our island and you definitely aren't welcome in this part of the ocean! This area has been claimed by some of the strongest assassins on the entire island! They have thousands of followers and-" the old man was cut off by the sudden explosion of multiple smoke bombs.

The smoke covered the entire ship and quickly the rest of the crew joined Luffy, Zoro, Franky, Sanji and Chopper on the deck, all of them battle ready. Shadowy figures quickly surrounded the entire deck, standing on the wood railing of the Sunny. The smoke slowly began to clear as more figures jumped onto the ship from below. A large figure jumped onto the ship, making it jolt forward for a brief moment. The smoke cleared to reveal a large assassin, wearing the same gi as the old man, but with a large tear across his chest, revealing a circular scar.

"What did I tell you about entering my territory, shitty old man?" the large figure said, slowly approaching the old man and the pirate crew, "I must say that I didn't expect to see you and your grandkids alive after we did to you last time."

"Master Hareluya... please... I beg of you... don't..." the old man pleaded. Hareluya placed two fingers on the old man's forehead. Luffy suddenly lunged forward, landing a punch to the face of the large assassin. Hareluya stumbled away from the old man and Luffy stood in between the two of them.

"Who the- Oh... I don't believe what I'm seeing... Straw Hat Luffy, the man with a bounty of 400,000,000. I didn't think you would be the kind of person to help an old fart that just tried to take your life!" Hareluya shouted.

"I don't really care about that..." Luffy muttered, raising his fists towards Hareluya, "I just don't like you."

"You little shit!" Hareluya shouted, clenching his fists, "I'm going to take your head to the warden himself!"

The assassins surrounding the ship all jumped down onto the deck from the railing. Zoro smiled and drew his other blades, placing one in his mouth and the other in his left hand. Sanji lit a cigarette and slowly blew out smoke. Franky pressed his nose to turn his shaved head into a giant blue afro. Usopp pulled his goggles down over his eyes. Chopper cracked his knuckles as Robin put on her sunglasses. Brook slowly pulled out his blade and Nami brushed the hair out of her face as she prepared the Clima-tact for battle.

"It looks like there are about fifty of them on the ship... and another 100 on the ships surrounding us... lets see who can take out the most." Zoro said with a snicker.

"Everyone," Luffy shouted, slightly turning his head back to face his crew, "Take them out without damaging the Sunny!"

"Pay attention to me, bastard pirate!" Hareluya shouted, pulling out a small dagger and swinging wildly at Luffy. Luffy ducked and slowly extended his right arm. Hareluya reached into his pocket and pulled out a smoke bomb in the form of a small pellet, "Time to show you the art of the assassin!" he shouted, slamming the pellet down and creating a small cloud of smoke around him and Luffy.

"Gear Second..." Luffy muttered under his breath as he closed his eyes. His arm turned red and steam began to emit from it. Hareluya's figure slowly appeared behind him. Luffy quickly spun around and his eyes shot open. Hareluya froze as Luffy's right arm slammed into his gut, "JET PISTOL!"

Hareluya only moved slightly backwards but he quickly threw his mask to the ground and spit out some blood. He had multiple cuts and scars all over his face, his forehead was slightly covered by his brown hair.

"The art of the assassin?" Luffy said, taking a single step towards Hareluya, "That means nothing on the sea!"

_Luffy's Astonishing Strength! Hareluya's Soul Crushing Defeat?_

**To Be Continued.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Pirates vs. Assassins**

"Master Hareluya took his mask off!" one of the assassins exclaimed, narrowly dodging an attack from Zoro. Zoro quickly spun around and blocked an attack from two assassins trying to attack him at once. Zoro smirked and with a single slash of his sword both assassins fell into the ocean surrounding the Sunny.

"These aren't exactly the best assassins I've ever come across." Robin said as she broke the back of one of the assassin's that was trying to sneak up from behind her.

"I was just thinking the same exact thing. I could be a better assassin in my sleep." Zoro said, casually blocking and countering three assassins that jumped onto the Sunny at the same time, "This island is already looking to be a disappointment."

As the Straw Hats continued to casually defeat the assassins on the ship. The old man and his grandchildren watched on in astonishment. Luffy and Hareluya's fists clashed, creating a mini shock wave across the ship. Luffy quickly placed his straw hat down beside one of the knocked out assassins. Luffy wiped away some blood from his lip and smiled at his opponent. Hareluya continued to glare at Luffy and resumed a fighting stance.

"That was a nice hit you got in there. You're stronger than I thought" Luffy said, laughing. Hareluya's eyes grew large and he quickly rushed at Luffy. Luffy's facial expression quickly changed and he blocked another attack from the large assassin. Luffy's right arm had turned completely black, with the gear second steam still casually flowing from it.

"You're just toying with me!" Hareluya shouted, "I thought you were a pirate to be respected Straw Hat! Fight me with your true power! Show me why you deserve that 400 million bounty!" he continued. Luffy deactivated his Gear Second and looked Hareluya directly in the eyes.

"This isn't the place for us to go all out. This ship has to take me to the end of the New World after all!" Luffy said with a smile.

"I'll destroy your ship right before your eyes, Straw Hat!" Hareluya shouted and jumped up into the air, "Everyone, head back to the village! We're about to become the richest people on the island!"

Suddenly all of the assassins vanished off of the ship. Zoro sheathed his blades with a disappointed look on his face. The old man let out a gasp and tried to jump into the water but his grandchildren stopped him. Luffy slowly looked up at Hareluya, with his arms crossed.

"Ninja Art: Rock Slide Technique!" Hareluya shouted, making a few hand signs. Luffy's eyes quickly grew wide and he placed his thumb in his mouth. He blew air into his thumb until his arm grew significantly in size. Hareluya pointed both of his hands towards the Sunny as he slowly started to lose altitude. A large amount of rocks began to pour out of his hands, all of them at least half of the size of the Sunny. Luffy quickly jumped into the air and moved the air to the center of his body. Zoro quickly drew his blades once more and ran up Luffy's back, with Sanji quickly following.

"Three Sword Style: Oni Giri!" Zoro shouted, cutting over half of the rocks into tiny pieces that carelessly fell onto the deck of the ship and into the water. Sanji jumped off of one of Zoro's blade and shot himself towards Hareluya himself. Sanji began to spin around while in mid-air, his foot beginning to appear as if it was on fire. Sani then landed a stiff kick to Hareluya's gut, causing the assassin to cough up a large amount of blood. Luffy, having successfully blocked the other half of the rock slide, propelled himself towards Hareluya.

Luffy grabbed onto Hareluya's shoulders and moved in for a finishing blow. At the last second Hareluya grabbed Luffy's arms and threw them off of his shoulders. Luffy was hovering over the ocean without any stable ground as Zoro and Sanji landed back on the Sunny. Hareluya smirked and kicked Luffy in the jaw, sending him flying down towards the ocean. Luffy quickly extended his arm out and pulled himself back onto the deck of the Sunny, his jean shorts getting slightly wet in the process.

"This guy is actually pretty durable to still be able to fight after taking that kick." Sanji said with a disgusted look on his face.

"I may be retreating for the moment Straw Hat, but if you really plan on surviving on MY island for longer than a day you better brace yourself for the fight of your life! There is no holding back on my turf!" Hareluya shouted out from the ocean. Luffy looked down to see Hareluya standing on the water with a smirk on his face. "I will be the one to kill you!"

"Luffy, are you OK? That was a pretty powerful kick." Chopper said, rushing up to the Captain with a medical kit but Luffy didn't give a response, "Luffy?"

"I don't understand," Luffy said, looking out at the ocean where Hareluya was standing just moments before, "How come I wasn't able to predict his attack?"

**On Admiral Smoker's Ship**

Smoker slowly let out a large cloud of smoke. The woman that was fighting Killer on Kidd's ship let out a loud cough and briefly walked out of the room. Smoker looked across the room to see Kidd, Killer, and most of their crew tied up, the devil fruit users handcuffed with sea stone chains.

"Tashigi, get back in here..." Smoker said, putting down his cigars. The woman once again entered the room and stood at attention immediately.

"Admiral Smoker sir!" Tashigi said, "What can I help you with?"

"Enough with the formalities Tashigi, we've worked together for over three years now, remember? But anyway, did you hear back from HQ? I want to get these pirates off of my hands so I can capture Straw Hat." Smoker said.

"Ah yes, well... about that..." Tashigi said, pushing up the glasses on her face, "There is some interference coming from the new super prison just a few clicks away that's preventing us from properly contacting HQ."

"Is that so? Well I guess the prison just got it's first Supernova prisoner." Smoker said, slowly rising from his chair and picking up his cigars once more, "You and Straw Hat can rot together for all I care." he said to Kidd, who slowly looked up at him with a disgusted look on his face.

**On a ship on its way to the surface from Fishman Island**

"So it sounds like we only missed the Straw Hat Pirates by a few days!" Sentomaru exclaimed, slamming his axe down onto the ground, "That means he can't be too far into the New World! We can catch him on our way to bringing Jinbe and Rayleigh into the prison!"

**At Marine Headquarters**

"I have a feeling that this situation with Straw Hat in the New World is going to be more than Smoker will be able to handle." a shadowy figure said from behind a desk, "I know that the two of you retired after the War of the Best in Marineford... but I'm going to make one last request of you! Monkey D. Garp, Sengoku! Go to the New World and assist Admiral Smoker in the capture of the Straw Hat Pirates!"

The two figures sitting across from the shadowy man were silent. After a brief pause one of them stood up and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going, Garp?" the shadowy figure asked.

"I'm not going to arrest my grandson, Sakazuki!" Garp replied bitterly.

**On the Thousand Sunny, 2 hours until arrival on Ansatsusha Heiwa**

"So are the four of you not going to eat anything?" Sanji asked, placing down a few plates in front of the old man and his grandchildren, "Oh! I forgot to ask nicely. Would you please eat the food that I've prepared for you, old man?"

"Watch who you're calling old!" the old man shouted, "My name is Shaa! These are my grandchildren: Ryoji, Mikita, and Shiro!"

"OK then... here, just take your damn food before it gets cold." Sanji said, clearly agitated.

"So how come you guys were so afraid of those assassins that attacked us earlier?" Brook asked, sipping on a cup of tea, "They honestly didn't seem too strong except for that man... he could have killed me if I wasn't careful! But wait, I'm already dead! YOHOHOHOHO!" he laughed, causing all three grandchildren to laugh until Shaa glared at all of them.

"Before I explain... I want to thank all of you for defending us! Even though... we tried to take your lives just moments before!" Shaa said with tears running down his face, "For the first time in years... I feel pure regret for my actions!"

"Dry up your tears old man," Luffy said walking onto the deck with a smile on his face, "I knew from the moment you tried to attack me that you weren't going to actually kill me."

"Well look who is finally in a better mood!" Sanji exclaimed, with a goofy smile on his face as he greeted his captain.

"Yeah, after eating your food how could I be angry! Shishihihihi!" Luffy laughed.

"I hate to interrupt but... before we arrive on my home island... there is something that I should warn all of you about." Shaa said, getting the attention of everyone on the deck of the ship, "Over the past year or so... there hasn't been a single pirate ship to leave Ansatsusha Heiwa!"

"What?" everyone gasped, Luffy's mouth dropping in excitement.

"You all shouldn't look so eager... there is a super prison that is only days away from being completed! It's even harder to penetrate than Impel Down! The man who runs this prison is none other than one of the admirals of the World Government! He was placed as the Warden under the strict orders of Fleet Admiral Akainu... the warden is... Admiral Aokiji!"

Robin's eyes grew wide and Luffy bit his lower lip and clenched his fists.

"So please.. I beg of you! Let us leave this ship right now before the World Government kills our family!"

_The World Government's shocking actions on Ansatsusha Heiwa! Aokiji's Reappearance is on the horizon!_

**To Be Continued.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: An Anti-Pirate Island: Straw Hats in Disguise! **

"Please! I beg you! Take down your pirate flag right now!" Shaa pleaded, placing his head on the ground as the tears flowed from his eyes. "If we are caught with you... my daugher stands no chance! Akainu will order for her immediate execution. You have no idea how cruel the world has become with him as the Fleet Admiral! Not a single thing happens without Akainu knowing about it... even your arrival into the New World! Akainu has probably already dispatched marine forces!"

Shaa continued to cry and tug at his hair. Luffy placed his hand on his straw hat and placed it on the ground beside him. The rest of the crew looked at him with confusion as Luffy also walked towards the sails and began to untie the knot to the flag. Zoro and Sanji quickly moved to help him and within seconds both pirate flags had been completely taken down. Shaa looked up with joy as he wiped the tears from his face.

"You said your name is Shaa, right?" Luffy asked, once again turning towards the old man.

"Y-yes." Shaa replied, still sobbing.

"There is something you should know about us," Luffy said with a smile, "We can never resist a good adventure! We're going to your island!" Shaa's mouth dropped to the ground as Luffy began to laugh.

"Are you suicidal?" Shaa exclaimed.

"Sometimes I think he is." Usopp whispered, his legs shaking, "Didn't you hear what he said Luffy? Not a single pirate ship has left this island in over a year!"

"Usopp you should know better than anyone that once Luffy makes up his mind there is no changing it." Nami said, emerging onto the deck of the ship with a few maps under her arm. "Do you know how long it takes for the log pose to lock onto the next island, old man?"

"Log Pose? Oh! Of course, it takes about 2 and a half days before you will be able to move on. But don't you think this is dangerous? Every single one of you has a bounty on your head! Just sneaking you onto the island is impossible!" Shaa replied.

"Normally it would be, grandpa, but isn't the government preparing for the arrival of a super prisoner from Paradise?" Shiro, the youngest of the three grandchildren and the only girl said as she stepped forward, removing her mask to reveal blue eyes and silver hair. She appeared to be no older than six years old, yet she had a long scar that began in the upper right corner of her face and made a horizontal slash towards the bottom left corner of her face.

"Ah! That's right! Maybe the Gods are with you after all Straw Hats... but we only have one shot at this." Shaa said, giving the entire crew a very serious look, "You're going to have to completely abandon your identities and create a disguise!"

After an hour had passed the Straw Hat crew had completely changed their style. Luffy was wearing a red haired wig and the scars on his chest and face had been covered up by some of Nami's make up. He was now wearing one of Sanji's suits and constantly tugged at the tie. Zoro was now wearing an outfit similar to Shaa's, now only carrying one of his blades with him and leaving the other two on the ship. Nami tied her hair back into a ponytail and wore a long sleeve jacket and used her makeup to create multiple scars across her face, by Shiro's request.

Usopp wore a wig that was exactly like Luffy's hair. He asked Nami where she found the wigs and she replied saying that she made some of the wigs and bought some back in Saboady for any emergency situations such as this. Usopp shrugged and dropped his bag full of dials and sniping materials down onto his cot. Sanji was wearing a chef's outfit, complete with a giant hat similar to the hat of his mentor in the East Blue, Zeff. Chopper decided that he was going to stay in the forests on the island in his human form to give the appearance that he was a monster to make sure the government would have no way to determining who he was.

Robin let her bangs down in front of her face and decided to wear a long dress that covered up most of her body, severely disappointing Sanji. Franky decided that it would be best if he stayed on the ship with Brook to make sure that it was not attacked. Brook agreed and Shaa looked at the disguised crew with a smirk on his face.

"All right then, those are some pretty decent disguises, you should all be able to last on the island for a few days as long as you don't mess up." Shaa said, and everyone's attention immediately turned towards the spot where Luffy and Zoro were supposed to be. Luffy's disguise was laying on the deck of the ship and Zoro's other two blades were missing. Everyone's mouths dropped open and looked towards the island, which was easily reachable by Luffy with his devil fruit ability.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Nami shouted, placing her hands on her face.

"Those two idiots are going to ruin everything!" Usopp shouted.

"We have to get them before they reach any of the villages!" Shaa shouted. Everyone agreed and Franky quickly docked the ship on the exact opposite side of the island from the marine prison. The Straw Hats had officially landed on Ansatsusha Heiwa!

**At the Super Prison**

A large marine vessel suddenly emerged from under the sea, in the middle of the Marine port on the island. After a moment the ship docked in the port and a bridge connected the ship to the main land. Roughly sixteen marine soldiers lined up across the bridge and stood at attention as Sentomaru emerged from within the ship with Rayleigh. At the same time a loud bell rang from the super prison, which extended up into the clouds and was made up of pure marble and sea stone. Another marine ship appeared from around the side of the ship, belonging to Admiral Smoker, who was bringing Kidd to the prison as well.

After a moment the large doors on the front of the prison began to slowly open, a wave of icy air emerging from within. A tall man with an admiral jacket emerged, being followed by a large wave of roughly one hundred soldiers. He had a black afro of sorts and had slightly dark skin. He slowly emerged and immediately locked eyes with Rayleigh, who broke the eye contact after a moment to look up at the size of the prison.

"Sentomaru... I had no idea that you going to be bringing one of the most dangerous men in the world to this prison... Silvers Rayleigh, the former first mate of the Pirate King." the tall man said as Smoker's ship began to dock on the opposite side of the port.

"So the message didn't send properly? Not that it's any of your business or anything Aokiji but it seems as if the transponder snails on my ship have a hard time whenever we are down at Fishman Island." Sentomaru responded.

"I see... well then... do you have any idea why Smoker is here?" Aokiji asked, crossing his arms.

"I have no idea actually."

"He must be in pursuit of the Straw Hat Pirates, I did receive the message about their arrival in these waters." Aokiji said, getting the attention of Rayleigh, "But before we talk about them... how about you explain to me how you were able to capture this man, Sentomaru."

"Ha... that's definitely none of your business! I'm not telling you! But all I'm going to say is that Akainu has given me a special ability that makes me just as powerful as the admirals." Sentomaru responded.

"Ah, so you've eaten a devil fruit then... I guess that makes sense." Aokiji said, placing one of his hands on his chin, "I must say that I'm going to have to ask Akainu why you are getting such special treatment though. His tactics as the Fleet Admiral have already been... suspicious to say the least... maybe I shouldn't have turned down the job offer... nah... I wouldn't be able to take any naps if I did." he continued, pondering to himself.

"Why is that important at all? Are you going to take this prisoner or not?" Sentomaru shouted.

"Oh... yeah, of course. All right men, take Rayleigh into the prison and send him directly to the top floor. I'm sure that prisoner number zero will enjoy the company." Aokiji said, "Now I think it's time for my second afternoon nap..."

"Wait a second! There is already a prisoner in there?" Sentomaru exclaimed.

"Whoops... guess I shouldn't have said that in front of you. You are dismissed Sentomaru, return to your post in Saboady." Aokiji said and entered the prison behind the soldiers that were escorting Rayleigh.

**With Luffy and Zoro**

"All right Zoro, let's head straight for the village where that guy from before lives!" Luffy shouted as the two pirates ran through the forests on the island.

"I can't remember the last time you've been so excited about an opponent, Luffy. I'm actually hoping that I run into a powerful swordsman on this island!" Zoro exclaimed.

As Luffy and Zoro continued through the forest, a single figured followed them from the trees above. Luffy stopped for a brief moment and looked up. Zoro continued running and was soon completely out of sight.

"I could have sworn that someone was up there." Luffy said, tilting his head sideways. Suddenly a figured stepped out from behind a tree. Luffy quickly spun around and gasped in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

_Who is the mysterious figure that has appeared in front of Luffy?_

**To Be Continued.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Survival**

Ansatsusha Heiwa is an island that is frequently visited by pirate crews that are entering the New World. The island itself consists mostly of a large, dense jungle where many adventure goers have met their doom. There are small villages that cover the entire island, with each village training its own assassins to carry out missions on the surrounding islands to keep the small economy of the island on it's feet. There are the ruins of a giant coliseum on the center of the island, which is surrounded by myths and legends about the ancient days of the island.

The Super Prison that the World Government built is on the west side of the island, where a port complete with the largest village on the island used to exist. The Government forced the members of the village to relocate to other villages across the island, placing the peacefulness of the island in jeopardy, with the different styles and teachings of the villages colliding. The Straw Hats have docked their ship on the east side of the island, the only part of the island where the World Government agreed to not patrol. It is also the area where the strongest and most evil village resides.

Roronora Zoro is the first mate of the Straw Hat crew. He carries around three swords with him and currently has a bounty of 120,000,000 berries. He is also the member of the crew that has become infamous of roaming around and getting lost; he has a severe lack of direction. After being separated from his captain in the jungle, Zoro wandered around the jungle searching for the Thousand Sunny or the closest village. After three hours of wandering, Zoro discovered a source of running water and determined that if he followed the river he would be lead to a village.

Zoro cut through the thick vines and branches that were in his path with ease. Zoro also tugged at his outfit, as he was in disguise. He occasionally stopped for a drink of water. Zoro looked up at the sky, from what he could see through the dense tree tops, and noticed that the day was beginning to come to an end and soon the wildlife of the jungle would be coming to life. Zoro decided that he was going to walk through the night and kill anyone or anything that tried to get in his way. He had no idea what his crew mates were doing at this point, nor did he care. Zoro had entered survival mode, using the teachings that Mihawk had taught him during the two years about surviving on his own.

"I honestly did not think those two weeks were going to become so useful," Zoro muttered to himself as the light from the tree tops began to fade quicker and quicker. Zoro began to think about the training and the near death experience that he had during those days of hard training. It was only for two weeks but Mihawk confiscated all three of Zoro's blades and threw him out into the forest without any supplies and ordered him to reach the other shore of the island within two weeks and survive. Zoro remembered making his own wooden blades out of fallen branches that he found on the ground during his journey.

Zoro remembered having to also fight the resident monkeys of the island, who were determined to take advantage of Zoro's situation and finally kill him. Near the end of the two week limit Zoro encountered the leader of the tribe of monkeys, who carried around a replica of Mihawk's blade. Zoro only had two wooden blades left, and they were near the edge of breaking. Zoro could hear the sound of the waves crashing into rocks behind the monkey. Zoro quickly tried to rush past the monkey before he was suddenly cut across the back. Zoro fell to the ground and attempted to block the second strike but the wooden blades were easily shattered. Zoro realized that he was now completely defenseless against the giant blade and combat skills the monkey possessed.

"I didn't realize that you were the kind of warriors to kill a defenseless man." Zoro taunted, struggling to stay standing after being without proper rest and food for two weeks. The monkey gripped the hilt of the sword and lifted the blade above it's head to deal the finishing blow to Zoro. Zoro smirked and before the monkey could react Zoro picked up one of the large splinters that remained of the wood and chucked it at the eye of the monkey. Luckily for Zoro he hit his mark and the blade crashed to the ground below them. The monkey shouted loudly, causing the birds up in the trees to quickly fly up into the air. The monkey bashed the ground and began to grunt. Zoro could hear the rapid approaching movement of the other monkeys and prepared a plan to escape to the shore.

Zoro, using the last burst of energy in his body, rushed past the monkey and made a desperate run towards the shore. Zoro emerged from the forest to see Mihawk and Perona waiting for him. Zoro fell to his knees and placed his head on the sand and asked for food. Mihawk didn't respond, but simply pulled out a tiny blade from his belt and slowly approached Zoro. Zoro looked up and Mihawk had the blade pointed directly at Zoro's left eye. Zoro closed both of his eyes and smiled, coming to terms with the punishment that he was going to be given. The pain was gone in an instant, as well as half of Zoro's vision.

Back in the present, Zoro sat down by the river and splashed some water into his face. He had adjusted to only having vision in his right eye but at the same time Zoro could not help but wonder how different things would have been if he did not cheaply attack the monkey. Not only did the two weeks in the forest teach him precious survival skills, but they also reminded him of the honor that the world's strongest swordsman is supposed to uphold. Almost all of the light of the day had receded and replaced by the darkness and sounds of the night.

Zoro once again stood up and continued his journey down the river. Only a few moments later Zoro froze and quickly placed his hand on the hilt of one of his blades. A few bushes rustled all around him and Zoro could hear the noises of tigers that were searching for easy pray in the night. Zoro quickly drew all of his blades and instantly blocked the attack of a tiger that leaped from the pushes. The tiger quickly retreated and circled around Zoro. Zoro kept his defense stance, looking dead ahead of him.

The tiger continued to circle, letting out a roar that instantly summoned four other tigers to surround Zoro. Zoro slowly looked around him, staring down his opponents. Zoro could still hear one tiger hiding in the bushes. Zoro, determined to wait for the final tiger to appear, continued to hold his defense stance. The tigers circled him only for a brief moment. Zoro's right eye shot open as all five tigers jumped towards him at once.

"Santoryu Ogi: Rokudo no Tsuj!" Zoro shouted and in an instant all five tigers were dead in a pile behind him, with six cuts on each corpse. Zoro kept his blades out as the ground beneath him began to shake. Zoro looked up to see a giant tiger, capable of pushing the giant trees in the jungle to the side, approach him. The tiger looked at the pile of corpses and looked down at Zoro, who locked eyes with him. The tiger leaned forward and let out a giant roar in Zoro's face. Zoro held his ground and prepared for his next attack. The tiger paused and took a few steps back and after letting out another roar retreated into the darkness of the jungle. After a few moments Zoro sheathed all three of his blades and turned back to face his former opponents.

"If you were as smart as your leader... none of you would have died tonight." Zoro said and turned away from the pile to continue his walk up the river.

**Earlier in the Day**

"So I finally caught up to you," the mysterious figure said as it approached Luffy from the shadows of the trees.

"Sanji! How did you know where I went!" Luffy exclaimed as Sanji stepped into the light. Sanji kicked Luffy directly in the face and sent him flying into a tree. Luffy jumped to his face and rubbed the side of his face, which was only slightly scratched, "Oi, I just wanted to have a little fun! I wasn't going to the prison I promise!"

"That isn't the point you idiot! You left your disguise on the ship! Don't you remember what is going to happen if the Government, or the residents of this island for that matter, find out that we're on this island? We're basically easy pickings! Now we have to hurry up and get back to the- Wait a minute, where is Zoro?" Sanji asked. Luffy looked around quickly and then looked at Sanji, with a dumb expression on his face.

"I have no idea." Luffy said. Sanji kicked Luffy in the face again.

"How did you lose that idiot, we'll never find him now! He's probably deep into the jungle already." Sanji grumbled. Sanji grabbed Luffy by the back of his vest and dragged him back towards the Sunny, much to Luffy's disappointment. Sanji threw Luffy onto the deck and Nami immediately punched him on the top of the head. Sanji informed the rest of the crew that Luffy had already lost track of Zoro by the time he caught up with them.

"At least Zoro is still in his disguise, so as long as he doesn't do anything too stupid then he should be able to stay hidden until we catch up with him." Nami said, with her arms crossed and Luffy near the point of unconsciousness at her feet. "Shaa, when do you think we should start heading towards your village?"

"Well," the old man said, "We aren't due back until the morning so I think it would be best if we wait until dawn. Though we must be careful, because tonight the assassin trials for a couple of the villages will be starting."

"Assassin trials?" Usopp asked, sounding like he was intrigued but also nervous.

"Yes, the one time a year where villages will determine who will be the next assassin for their village. Roughly five of the strongest eighteen year old students will enter the jungle, and the person who reaches the coliseum at the center of the island and reaches the goal at the giant stone tablet, will become the new assassin. There is a catch though... only one of the assassins is able to leave the coliseum alive."

"You mean they have to kill each other?" Chopper exclaimed.

"Tradition states that there can only be one new assassin per year and out of the five pupils that enter, only the winner can return to the village. I do believe that two villages will be starting tonight, meaning there are about ten very dangerous assassins roaming the jungle tonight! The swordsman must not interfere with the trials at all! If he does, he will become wanted by the entire island for interference!" Shaa concluded.

"I think it's more like those assassins better not attack Zoro." Franky said, crossing his giant, robotic arms, "That guy is a monster after all."

"It probably won't help that Zoro is dressed as an assassin." Nami said, the concern evident in her voice.

"If I can interrupt for a moment," Robin said, looking up from the book she was reading, "You said there was a giant tablet in this coliseum?"

"Ah, yes of course! There is some ancient writing on the tablet that no one in the history of this island has been able to read!" Shaa exclaimed.

"A poneglyph." Robin muttered to herself, "to think that we would come across one on our first island in the New World."

"All right, so at dawn we better go see if we can find Zoro on our way to Shaa's village." Nami dictated.

"Do we really have to wait until morning?" Luffy groaned, finally sitting up from the knock out punch that Nami had delivered. Nami once again knocked Luffy on the head and sent him face first to the deck of the Sunny.

"You aren't going anywhere you idiot!" Nami shouted.

**With Zoro**

"Who the hell are you?" Zoro asked with his right eyebrow slightly raised as a shadowy figure stood in front of him, holding into a blade that appeared to curl backwards behind the figure. "I really hope that you don't plan on getting in my way... I've had a really annoying night in this jungle." Zoro said in a menacing voice.

**To Be Continued.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Zoro VS. The Mysterious Assassin! Enter the Village Elder!**

The Assassin's Trials are a yearly ceremony that are held by the different villages on Ansatsusha Heiwa to determine who is going to represent the different villages as the newest assassin. The goal is for the assassin's to complete a set amount of tasks across the island before meeting with the master assassin of their village at the coliseum at the center of the island. The assassin's are given an extra task, kill anyone who crosses their path.

"What village do you come from?" the mysterious figure that stood in front of Zoro asked. The darkness of the forest at night made it impossible for the assassin's to recognize the different symbols for the different villages. The Assassin clutched a curved sword behind has back, with another resting in it's hilt.

"I don't come from any of the villages on this island. I'm just trying to find my crew." Zoro said in a disgruntled voice. "I'll give you one more chance to get out of my way, I'm not really in the mood to kill anyone tonight." he continued, taking a few steps towards the assassin. Zoro reached the assassin and the two warriors made eye contact. Zoro placed his left hand one the hilt of one of his blades as the assassin held his curved blade out directly in front of Zoro. "So you've got a death wish."

Zoro instantly drew his three blades and clashed with the curved blade of the assassin. The assassin jumped backwards and quickly drew his second blade and spun both of them around in his hands. Zoro stared for a moment before rushing forward with the intent to finish the battle. The assassin blocked all of Zoro's blades. Zoro tried to pull away from the assassin but heard the sinister laughter of his opponent. Zoro continued to struggle to pull his blades away from the grasp of his opponent and his foe laughed harder and louder. Zoro's eyes grew wide as he noticed that the two blades had curved around completely and locked all three of Zoro's blades together into the circle the former curved blades had formed.

"Ninja Art: Katana Trap Technique." the assassin said in a mocking tone, "I didn't think that any of the villages would be as foolish as to send out such an amateur that can't even counter a simple technique like this."

Zoro instantly smirked and slammed both of his feet into the ground. Zoro took in a deep breath and suddenly the size of his arm muscles increased dramatically. "Tatsu Maki!" Zoro lifted the assassin off of his feet with his blades still trapped and sent the assassin flying up into the air with two slashes across his body and both of his blades shattered. Zoro sheathed all three of his blades as his opponent slammed into the ground in a pool of blood.

"J-Just... what in the hell...a-are you?" the assassin coughed from the ground beside Zoro. Zoro slowly approached his opponent and looked down upon him, "S-some kind of demon?"

"No. I'm just a wandering swordsman, looking for a challenge in the New World," Zoro said, looking to his left, and then his right. "You said there are a few villages on this island? Where is the closest one?"

Before the assassin could clear his throat of blood to answer a single kunai knife came from behind the trees. Zoro quickly dodged the knife but his former opponent has struck directly in the neck and died instantly. Zoro quickly grabbed his swords but suddenly another assassin appeared behind Zoro, and two more quickly jumped down from the trees above him. All four assassins had deadly weapons pointed directly at Zoro. Zoro stared blankly ahead of him, not focusing on any of the targets. The assassin from behind quickly rushed towards Zoro, believing that the swordman's defenses had been lowered. Zoro quickly drew his katana and landed a fatal blow to all four assassins without appearing to make a single move.

"Nothing but weak trash." Zoro muttered to himself, sheathing his blades and continuing his journey through the forest.

It was not long before the sun once again began to shine through the canopy, lighting up Zoro's surroundings. Zoro had found himself at the exact some point of the river where he defeated the tigers, their bodies still laying in a giant pile. Zoro placed his katana down and rested against a rock, clearly agitated in where he had arrived. At the same time that Zoro was beginning his period of rest, the other members of the Straw Hat crew had finally disembarked from the Thousand Sunny and were on their way to Shaa's village.

"It is going to be very suspicious if all of you enter the village at once. I will enter with your navigator alone at first and throughout the next few hours I'll send someone out to bring you into the village. Normally we are not permitted by the village elder to let anyone in but I think I have a very convincing story for him." Shaa explained as the large group of people walked through the dense forest, "We also have to be very careful of any participants of the assassin trials, if they see us they will most likely attack."

"How long does this thing last anyway? I was under the impression that it would all end in one night." Usopp said, nervously looking around at the trees that surrounded the crew.

"It usually lasts about three days, with the opening ceremonies taking place last night. It's also very likely that we will stumble upon the bodies of the weak, as there are usually the most casualties on the first night." Shaa said with a smile.

"WHAT KIND OF OLD MAN ARE YOU?" Usopp and Chopper shouted and Shaa laughed in response.

The group traveled for a few more hours before Shaa suddenly ordered all of them to stop. Shaa lead Nami through a dark section of the forest, much to the nervousness of Sanji. After a few moments of waiting in the forest Shaa returned and led Chopper down the same path. This pattern continued until the remaining members of the Straw Hat crew were Luffy, Sanji, and Robin.

"It's already been about an hour since Franky was taken towards the village, what do you think the hold up is?" Sanji asked, blowing out a large amount of cigarette smoke. Luffy paced around in a circle impatiently. Robin sat on a tree stump, reading a large text book that she had picked up on Fishman Island. Suddenly Luffy froze and looked directly into the dark passage. Sanji and Robin also turned their attention as the loud footsteps of a person were heard from within.

'Wait a second, I know that feeling! It's that guy from before! The one who attacked us on the ship!" Luffy shouted, getting into a fighting stance. Sanji quickly pulled him back up into normal standing posture.

"Don't do anything stupid, Luffy! We're still in disguise remember?" Sanji shouted before letting Luffy go. Robin folded down the corner of the page in her book and slowly closed it as the large figure of Hareluya appeared from the dark passage, his mask still off and a blank expression on his face. A single bead of sweat slowly trickled down Luffy's face and he clenched both of his fists.

"If all three of you would kindly follow me into the village, I will be your escort." Hareluya said in a calm and relaxed voice. Luffy's tension quickly faded and was replaced with a sense of confusion. Robin was the first one to stand up and approach Hareluya, she gave him a fake smile and walked ahead of the group. Sanji quickly followed, giving a quick glare towards the smiling man. Luffy took a few steps towards Hareluya with his fists clenched once more before running to catch up with Sanji.

The three straw hats followed the dark path until finally they noticed a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Walking into the light a giant village full of people was suddenly in front of them. A giant waterfall crashed into a small lake near the north end of the village. The smell of fresh food waved through the air, causing Luffy's mouth to instantly begin to water. A giant wooden tower in the center of the town featured the name of the island and the "Curved Sword" tribe was carved underneath. Robin looked behind them to see Hareluya calmly approach the three of them with a large grin on his face.

"Welcome to the village, if you will please follow me I will lead you to your crew mates." Hareluya said, pointing towards a ramp that lead down into the village, "I know that you have a lot of questions that I'm sure the elder will be able to answer."

Robin, Sanji, and Luffy followed Hareluya down into the village. Hareluya waved and smiled at most of the villagers that the group passed. Sanji slowed down for a moment and walked alongside Luffy.

"Luffy, this is the same guy that ambushed on the Sunny right?" Sanji asked.

"Yeah, its definitely him. If we were in a more open area I would kick his ass right here!" Luffy said, cracking his knuckles. Sanji quickly kicked Luffy lightly in the back of the head, almost causing Luffy to trip forward and land on his face.

"Don't do anything reckless you idiot!" Sanji said. Luffy rubbed the back of his head and walked directly into Hareluya's back. Luffy fell backwards onto his back and looked up to see that they had stopped at the giant door to the wooden tower at the center of the village. Hareluya placed his hand on the center and after a moment the door slowly started to open. Robin looked unimpressed and entered the building. Sanji helped Luffy to his feet and they quickly followed Robin inside.

"Luffy! Sanji! Robin! You guys are finally here!" Chopper shouted as he ran up to them, jumping up towards Luffy, who caught him and spun around, the two of them laughing like children. Chopper jumped back down onto the ground and Luffy looked up to see the other members of the crew, besides Zoro, sitting in a giant room with Shaa. A single old man was sitting on a very large throne. He had a long grey beard that almost extended down to the ground. He was wearing a blue tank top with giant red, baggy pants. He had two giant weights attached to both his left and right wrists. Luffy's mouth dropped open and his eyes were replaced with stars. Sanji and Robin took their seats and Luffy and Chopper quickly rushed to sit down. Hareluya slowly approached the group and kneeled down beside the old man.

"Is this the last of them?" the old man asked in a booming voice. Hareluya responded with a simple nod. "Good, so we can finally get down to business. I presume that all of you have quite a few questions for me, as I have for you. First of all, may I ask that all of you remove these ridiculous disguises? I may be an old man but I am not one to be tricked so easily. You... are the Straw Hat Pirates, am I correct?"

Everyone in the crew gasped and Robin was the first to remove her disguise, once more wearing her original outfit. Nami sighed and gave the order for everyone else to do the same. Luffy asked Nami to give him his straw hat out of her bag. Nami scolded Luffy for sneaking the hat into her bag but she quickly handed it to him before turning towards the old man.

"How were you able to tell who we were?" Nami asked.

"I watched your altercation with Hareluya from the shores of the island. It was painfully obvious who you were when you had all gathered inside of my room. I see that you are missing someone though... where is the man who can use three swords?" the old man asked.

"If we knew we would tell you, sir." Shaa said, speaking up from his position, "We lost him in the forest yesterday."

"So he's the one that has been slaughtering the participants from the assassin trials. I must say that I am not very pleased with the actions of your friend. After we are done talking here I want you to find him immediately and bring him to me. But I can tell by the uneasy looks on your faces... am I going to inform the government of your arrival on this island?" the old man continued, after a long moment of silence he laughed, "Luckily for you guys I can not stand the government nor the prison they have built on our island."

"That's a relief." Usopp said, letting out a loud sigh and finally relaxing.

"I also know that you are curious as to why the same man that attacked you on the ocean is being so kind to you and living peacefully in this village." the old man said, turning his head towards Hareluya, who looked straight ahead, "And that is something that may take a little while to explain so please, lend me your ears... the man that sits in front of you now and the man that attacked you on the sea... Hareluya... are two halves of the same person!"

**To Be Continued.**


End file.
